CLEFT SENTENCES

CLEFT SENTENCES

In a basic sentence, no particular emphasis is expressed. Clefting a clause is a means of splitting the clause and moving the content before or after the predicate to produce a particular effect.                               

 It-cleft sentence:

• The information that comes after it is emphasised for the listener. The clause which follows the it-clause is connected using that and it contains information that is already understood. We often omit that in informal situations when it is the object of the verb:

• When a personal subject is the focus, we can use who instead of that.  We often omit who in informal situations when it is the object of the verb:

• --It was my husband who (or that) you spoke to on the phone.  (or It was my husband you spoke to on the phone.)---

BASIC CLAUSE:



SUBJECT : His performances

PREDICATE: attracted fans. 

IT–CLEFT CLAUSE:

EMPHASIS: It was his performances

THAT/WHICH/WHO –CLAUSE: that attracted fans.

WH- cleft sentences:

In these sentences WHAT means THE THING(S) THAT. The WH-clause must contain a verb. In these structures, we can use an infinitive with or without to.Wh-cleft sentences are most often introduced by what, but we can also use why, where, how, etc

EMPHASIS ON THE ACTION:

Mike took Sally to the party on Saturday.

What Mike did was (to) take Sally to the party

The reason why, the thing that, the person/people who, the place where, the day when…

We can focus on an element of the sentence by using these structures with a relative clause. We use the relative pronouns in the same way we use them in any relative clause.

Multiple Choice

______ enjoyed most of the trip was the food.

• What I

• All I

• It's what I

Multiple Choice

_____ everything started to fall apart.

• 2020 it was

• It was 2020 when

• 2020 was where

Multiple Select

David is ______ came up with the original idea. Choose TWO correct options

• the person who

• that

• the person that

• the person

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is INCORRECT?

• a.It was to pay the mortgage that he sold his new car

• b. The reason why he sold his new car was to pay the mortgage

• c. What he did to pay the mortgage is sell his car

• d. Paying the mortgage is why he sold his new ca